Like an espresso quaffed with summer pudding!
Spicy bright strawberry, coffee and chocolate characters combine with ripe red fruit, the softest of tannins and a rich mouth coating sensation. The oak ageing adds a dimension of vanilla which works so well with the old vine fruit.
This Zinfandel is produced from some of the oldest and most historic vineyards in Contra Costa County, specifically sourced from Cline's oldest, shyest-bearing blocks. These 100-year-old, dry-farmed vineyards are renowned for their low yields and high concentration of flavours.
The Zinfandel grapes are harvested from a variety of Cline's ancient blocks in Contra Costa County. These vineyards, over 100 years old and dry-farmed, consistently yield grapes with remarkable concentration. Each lot is picked separately to ensure optimal ripeness and a balanced acidity.
After near-total destemming and a gentle crushing to retain a high proportion of whole berries, the grapes undergo fermentation in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. This process extracts rich flavours and provides excellent colour. The wine is pressed off its skins at dryness, racked gently, and aged in American oak barrels (38% new) for 10 months. This aging process imparts additional complexity and a vanilla quality to the wine.
Rich beef stews and creamy poultry dishes.